Good Dinner Mrs. Mellen

If you follow my recipes and blog you know that I adore baking. I began my infatuation as a young child by my mother's side, her eager helper. From her I learned to bake delicious cake, pies, and pastries; my first lessons were baking. My mother and grandmother were intuitive cooks who rarely used a formal recipe instead creating delicious meals from scratch - a little this - pinch of that. Baking as my mother shared with me requires a precise measurements and ingredients for the perfect results. I have never forgot her words as we baked together so long ago! DOUBLE CHOCOLATE TEA BREAD   1 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup sour cream ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Sift...

Cod fish versatility lends to many different toppings. In New England, where beautiful fresh fish is prevalent, many restaurants still serve the traditional Ritz cracker topping which is delicious. I love to create new toppings to enhance the flavor of cod. Being of Italian heritage I gravitate toward Mediterranean flavors used by my family when I was growing up. My recipes are strongly influence by my mother and grandmother who were wonderful cooks and shared their passion with me. I am grateful for and indebted to their high standards, serving wonderfully prepared fresh food flavored with their love of family. I am the cook I am today because of these two exceptional women. 4 cod filets(3 ounces each) 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice  1/2 cup unseasoned panko breadcrumbs 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup chopped ...

Last year I purchased a Philips Air Fryer and since then I've enjoyed creating recipes specifically for the air fryer. I love sweet potato fries and adapted a recipe for the air fryer. These sweet potato fries are healthy, spicy and tasty.    INGREDIENTS: 3 medium peeled sweet potatoes   2 tablespoon olive oil 1   tsp sea salt 2 cloves crushed garlic 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 teaspoon thyme 1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt DIRECTIONS: Preheat air fryer to 400°F 8 minutes. Lightly spray the fryer basket with oil. Slice each potato into even 1/4 inch thick fries. Toss with oil, salt, garlic, paprika and red pepper. Cook in 3 or 4 batches, without overcrowding the pan 8 minutes, turning half way. Place on serving plate and top with pink Himalayan sea salt. Enjoy!

Ina Garten's Chicken Marbella  I'm a big fan of Ina Garten collecting all her cookbooks. I opened her new cookbook,  Cook Like a Pro: Recipes and Tips for Home Cooks, a Christmas present from my husband Chris, eager to try her variation of Chicken Marbella. When the Silver Palate cookbook was all the rage I made Chicken Marbella and wasn't very impressed. So I approached Ina's reinvention with trepidation planing on being disappointed. I made the dish and served it for a family Sunday dinner. Much to my surprise and delight we throughly enjoyed Ina's Chicken Marbella. I found the flavor more intense than the Silver Palate recipe created by the addition of more prunes, olives, garlic, caper juice and less sugar. I will definitely make this recipe again.   1/2 cup good olive oil 1/2 cup good red wine vinegar 1 1/2 cups large pitted prunes, such as Sunsweet 1 cup large green olives, pitte...